Axially arranged rotary threshing or separating systems have long been in use in agricultural combines for threshing crops to separate grain from crop residue, also referred to as material other than grain (MOG). Such axially arranged systems typically include at least one cylindrical rotor rotated within a concave or cage, the rotor and surrounding concave being oriented so as to extend forwardly to rearwardly within the combine.
In operation, crop material is fed or directed into a circumferential passage between the rotor and the concave, hereinafter referred to as a rotor residue passage, and is carried rearwardly along a generally helical path in such passage by the rotation of the rotor as grain is threshed from the crop material. The flow of crop residue or MOG remaining between the rotor and concave after threshing is typically discharged or expelled by the rotating rotor at a rear or downstream end of the rotor and the rotor residue passage in a generally downward, or a downward and sidewardly, direction in what is a continuation of the helical path of movement of the crop residue within the rotor residue passage between the rotor and concave.
The flow is typically discharged into a discharge opening at the downstream end of the rotor and into a further passage, hereinafter referred to as a discharge passage, that extends downwardly and somewhat rearwardly into a crop residue distribution system located below and rearwardly of the rear end of the threshing system. The crop residue distribution system typically includes a rotary beater or chopper or other apparatus that beats or chops the residue into smaller pieces and propels that finer crop residue rearwardly towards an area within the rear end of a combine, hereinafter referred to as a distribution chamber. The crop residue provided to the distribution chamber may be discharged therefrom onto a field either as a windrow or by spreading the crop residue across a crop swath cut.
In some instances and with some combines, the crop residue may simply be discharged from an exit port over the top of a spreader assembly at the rear of the combine to bypass the spreader assembly and to fall upon the ground behind the spreader assembly when windrowing is desired. In other instances and/or with other combines, however, regardless of whether windrowing or swath spreading is desired, the crop residue is discharged from a rear residue output port towards a spreader assembly, or at least the position in which a spreader assembly would be located, for windrowing or swath spreading, depending upon the setup of the spreader assembly employed.
Typical spreader assemblies employed include pairs of counter-rotating spreader head assemblies mounted side-by-side to each other generally below and to the rear of a rear crop residue output port, sometimes with rubber or like curtains or shields installed extending at least part way along the sides from the front of the spreader assembly. Such spreader head assemblies include spreader plates, the rotation of which helps propel and direct crop residue falling onto the spreader plates for distribution. Such spreader plates are typically generally flat disks which often are configured to have spaced spreader bats on one side, generally considered the topside of the spreader plate. The bottom sides of such spreader plates typically are relatively flat. When swath spreading is desired, such spreader plates are generally mounted with the topside including the spreader bats facing upwardly so that the spreader bats can assist in throwing the crop residue somewhat sidewardly. On the other hand, when windrowing is desired, the spreader plates are generally mounted with the topside including the spreader bats facing downwardly and with the relatively flat bottom sides facing upwardly. In such configuration, the crop residue falls onto the relatively flat upwardly facing bottom sides of the spreader plates and is propelled rearwardly by the counter-rotation of such spreader plates.
In accordance with some setups, when windrowing is desired a user may even elect to totally remove or forego use of the spreader plates of a spreader assembly, or even to forego the use of a spreader assembly, and to simply discharge the crop residue from the rear residue output port directly onto the field.
With many of the various windrowing techniques employed and the constructions utilized to produce a windrow, the resulting windrow has been somewhat unevenly distributed behind the combine, instead of as a cohesive mat, and the crop residue forming the windrow has sometimes been blown or pressed downwardly into and against the stubble remaining on the field in a non-cohesive manner, resulting in a windrow formation that is less than ideal. Various difficulties, including the need for increased drying time and a lower positioning of the tines of a baler as the residue is being baled, and the problems resulting therefrom, are associated with such non-ideal windrow formations.
Users have therefore continued to seek new and improved techniques and constructions for better forming windrows, including as relatively uniform cohesive mats the elevations of which may be better or somewhat adjustably controllable relative to the remaining stubble on a field, that overcome or obviate or lessen various of the previous difficulties and concerns.